Spinning top



Jan. 22, 1952 R. D. OLSON SPINNING TOP Filed April 5, 1949 him/1, Aw

nM A 0E 5 /N 0 F 0 W I M. 9% m R w Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPINNINGTQP Robert :11. .fllsom'Fort 'wayne, Ina. Application *April'S, 1949,, Serial No.185g554 ,1 Claim.

This invention :relates to 119W and .useful improvementsinspinning tops and has for its primary object to provide :a top having -a'fixed colored disc and a rotatable colored zdisc, .means rcausing a speed differential that the disc rotates independently of the .housing, presenting during the'rotation diiferent colors and color 'blendings.

Another meritorious "feature of this invention resides in the :provision of .means carried by the rotatable disc for selectively varying and changingthe-speed and mannerof rotation of the disc independently of the rotation of the housing so that the disc rotates on its own shaft or spindle and is provided with prearranged patterns of different colors to exhibit a blending and change of colors while spinning.

Another important object of this invention is to providea novel and practical color change top, which may be inexpensively manufactured and which will be durable and practical in use.

These and ancillary objects and other meritorious features are attained by this invention, preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of this invention; 4

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of this invention, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tops shown in Figures 1 and 2. I

The body of the top comprises a substantially conical hollow housing [0, having suitably secured at its upper edge or its major end a substantially concavo-convex cover disk l2. I2 is preferably transparent, but may be formed with a series of segment shaped apertures or the like, so as to render the interior of the housing it viewable from the top.

A disk-like partition member 14 is transparently disposed in the housing and fixed thereto at the juncture point between the housing and the cover, as seen in Figure 1. -The upper surface of the partition It may be suitably ornamented and inscribed with a multi-color pattern or ornamental configuration.

Of course, if a humming top is desired, the upper part of the housing may be provided with openings l6, which will produce the humming sound while the housing is rotating or spinning.

multi-colored pattern sur The cover disk In the latter respect, aspherical,spinn ngpoint l8 ,is-embeddedin andintegrally formed with the minor end 20 of the housing.

Centrally upraised from the. transparent cover 12 isalieadfii having vertically disposed .cen: trally positioned aperture 24 vtherein. Afhulb 2 having an annular .side wall '28 .is seated .on the head and formed with a centrally disposed pa s.- sage 30, the ,samebeing aligned, with the vertical opening 24 for a purpose to be later described. It can be appreciated that the annular side wall 28 is provided so that the top may hespunjinthe usualmanner. In this respect, a conventional flexible operating member, such as a rope or string or the like, is wound orcoiled around the side wall and then when the top is disposed ina verticalposition resting on the spherical spinning point i8, the operating member ispulled or unwound quiclrly from the hub.

As the housing rotates, it can beseen that the different colors painted on the upper surface of the partition will be viewed through the transparent cover vl2. In order to impart a color blending and to exhibit a changeable blending of colors when the top is spinning, a rotatable disc 32 is disposed in the compartment defined by the partition member 14 and the cover l2. The upper surface of the rotatable disc 32 is suitably covered with a pattern formation of diiferent colors, complementary to the pattern on the upper surface of the partition [4. It can be seen that the outer circumferential edge of the disc 32 is spaced inwardly from the juncture point or guide wall of the cover and housing, so that the upper surface of the partition adjacent the outer edge, is exposed so that the upper surface of the partition, adjacent the edge thereof may be viewed through the cover. A rotatable shaft or spindle 34 has one end centrally disposed in the disc 32 and fixed thereto as at 36. The shaft 34 extends vertically through the aperture 24 and the passage 30 and has its other end peened over as at 38 on the upper outer edge of the hub. Thus, it can be seen that when the housing is rotating, the disc 32 will rotate also but independently of the rotation of the housing and the speed and manner of rotation of the disc may be easily changed by placing an object or exerting a slight pressure on the peened end 38 of the shaft. The'slight pressure exerted thereon will temporarily halt or break the rotation of the disc 32 but will not interfere with the rotation of the housing It.

Another embodiment of this invention is shown in Figure 2, wherein the structure of the top is similar but different means is provided for effecting the change of color or color blending visible through the cover I2. In this respect, the disc 32 is fixed on one end of a rotating shaft 40, the shaft 40 terminating at its other end in a semispherical spinning point 42 having a flat spinning surface 44. The head '26 is carried by a vertical spindle 46, the same being securely disposed in an aperture 48 in the upstanding head 50 of the cover l2., A conventional bearing 52 is disposed at the minor end of the housing I!) to rotatably receive the shaft 40 and to space the spinning point 42 from the minor end of the housing. To effect a positive color changing, when the top is spun, in a manner as disclosed in the foregoing, it can be seen that the surface 44 of the spinning point is subject to friction created between the bearing point and upper surface and a supporting surface on which the top is being spun.

Thus, it can be seen that there is provided a novel top of attractive appearance and design, which is easily and inexpensively provided with an automatic and a manual color changing control.

However, since many other purposes and embodiments of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, it is to be understood that improvements may be effected on the basic design disclosed, the same coming within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A toy top including a conical housing, a transparent concave cover disk seated on the upper edge of said housing, a fixed disk-like partition disposed transversely in the housing at the juncture of the housing and cover disk, said partition being inscribed with a multi-colored pattern, a centrally apertured head on said cover disk, a vertical spindle disposed in said head, a hub having an annular side Wall disposed on said spindle, a fiat rotatable disk disposed in said housing and spaced above the partition, said invention, what is disk having a multi-colored pattern formed on its upper surface and having its circumferential edge spaced inwardly from the side wall of the housing to expose therebeyondthe outer edge of the partition, the portion of said cover disk directly overlying said outer edge being transparent, and means carried by said rotatable disk for varying the speed and manner of rotation thereof independently of the rotation of the housing, said housing having an aperture at its REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 676,191 Irving June 11, 1901 867,373 Hoen Oct. 1, 1907 1,016,960 Sapper Feb. 13, 1912 1,109,562 Wingert Sept. 1, 1914 1,571,708 Cayo Feb. 2, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,780 Great Britain Mar. 17, 1893 

